


Richard Fist

by GnohomasWitness



Series: Adam's Early Days [3]
Category: Runescape (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-03-06 11:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18850519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GnohomasWitness/pseuds/GnohomasWitness
Summary: Adam Neeson becomes a bounty hunter to clear his name so that he can become a real adventurer after a hard criminal past. His first target is a former partner in crime named Richard Fist, a ruthless outlaw from Zeah who leads his own gang up near Ice Mountain.





	1. Showdown On The Mountainside

Adam looked dolefully into the standing mirror in the cramped bedroom of his apartment. He did up the last button on his old graahk-hide jacket and sighed. “Never thought I’d be wearing this again…” He muttered to his hellkitten who was laying by the fire. The spiked graahk hair along the back and shoulders of the jacket had long since worn down to practical non-existence leaving only a smooth, hard leather. It was Adam’s old jacket from when he was an outlaw. The jacket didn’t exactly bring back great memories, but it offered better protection than the rugged sheepskin vest he had on underneath.

In addition to the jacket, Adam had a pair of black dragonhide chaps over his old jeans and a newly crafted pair of leather boots Adder had delivered earlier that day. He was as ready as he would ever be. Adam coiled his lasso and attached it to his belt before putting on the straps for his Tanner-holder. He had some extra rope too that he hooped diagonally over his torso. Adam would be going up against a whole gang of criminals, not just Richard, he had no idea how much rope he was going to need. Then he attached his round, wooden shield to his back using the long, leather strap that crossed its diameter. Adam took one more look in the mirror. “I’m coming for you, Richard.” He muttered at his reflection, standing proud with his legs apart and his arms at the ready. Adam felt his hand along his lower abdomen where he had once been stabbed as an outlaw. The former bandit’s wounds had fully healed in the years since, but the gash from the knife had stayed on the jacket until Adder finally stitched it up for him that morning.

The man picked up his steel sword from the bed and sheathed it on the scabbard at his belt, opposite to his lasso. Then he stepped over to Tanner by the fire and knelt beside him. “You ready for a real adventure, little guy?” He asked the hellcat.

Tanner peeped.

Adam smiled as he picked Tanner up and put him in the sock strapped to his chest. It was time to go. Adam stuck the wanted notice into his pocket and headed out the door, locking it behind him.

 

***

 

Adam crept his way through the cold boreal forests at the base of Ice Mountain in Northern Asgarnia. The tall evergreen trees brought back memories of his time in the goblin village. It gave him a strange coming home feeling, as though if he didn’t pay close enough attention he would absentmindedly crawl back into Mudknuckles’ grubby kitchen. He huffed and tried to stay focussed so he could carry on with his job. Adam’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the environment for signs of outlaw activity. Torn branches in makeshift clearings, snuffed out firepits or human footprints could serve as clues as to the gang’s whereabouts.

The forest floor was covered in generations of dead pine needles and evergreen branches dusted with light snow from ice mountain. It shuffled and crackled under Adam’s leather boots. Any attempt to keep quiet did little good. The forest was so silent even a scurrying mouse could cause an audible disruption. At least Adam would be able to hear if he was being followed. Northern Asgarnia was home to bears, goblins and other undesirables, the likes of whom Adam was far too familiar with.

A woodland thief watched the tall green man from behind a snowy pine tree. The thief couldn’t believe his eyes. The Bull was supposed to be dead! His heart pounded but his breathing slowed to a whimper. The graahk-hide jacket, the green skin, the size of the man! That was the Bull, no question about it, albeit a tad shaggier. Pushing down on snow-covered branch, the thief leaned forward, trying to get a better look. The thief didn’t dare leave his hiding place, but this was a truly extraordinary find. The Bull was back. But more importantly, the Bull was in Asgarnia! The gang would want to know all the details about this when he got back to camp! The thief continued to spy on the Bull, holding down on the springy pine branch to keep it out of his eyes while also using it for cover.

Eventually the Bull walked out of view. The thief cursed and leaned forward some more, trying to catch another glimpse of the deadly green outlaw from behind the tree. But the Bull was nowhere to be seen. The thief peeled his hand off the sticky sap and bark of the pine branch. It immediately sprung back up and smacked him in the face. The thief cursed again as he wiped the snow and pine needles from his face but doing that only got his face covered in flakes of bark, stuck by the sticky pine sap. He coughed and spat.

Suddenly an arm wrapped around the thief’s neck. “Hello Narf.” A terrifyingly familiar voice said. The blade of a steel sword came into view and pointed dangerously at the thief’s face.

“H… hello, Bull.” The thief blurted. “Nice day for a walk, huh?”

“You weren’t planning on robbing me were you, Narf? Where are your friends at?”

“Robbing you?” Narf choked, his hands were on the Bull’s arm as he struggled to free himself, though he knew it wouldn’t do any good. “Of course not! I just wanted to get a better view of a dead man walking.”

“Very funny.” The Bull responded, not laughing. He tightened his stranglehold on the thief. “I’m tryna find an old friend of mine, maybe you could point me in the right direction.”

“If you’re looking for Black Heather, she’s in the wilderness!” Narf cried, slightly relieved that the conversation wasn’t about him getting his neck snapped.

The Bull grunted in frustration and jerked at the thief’s neck. “I ain’t looking for Heather! Where’s Richard Fist?” He hissed into the thief’s ear.

Narf’s blood ran ice cold. “Richard?!” Of course! Richard Fist’s gang had recently moved into a new hideout in these woods. “Richard’s gang is just north of here! In an old cottage by the mountainside. Please don’t kill me!"

The Bull laughed and let go of the thief.

Narf fell to his knees before collapsing face first into a wet pile of pine needles and cedar branches. The pile bounced as he frantically turned around to face the Bull who was cutting a length of rope from the coil over his shoulders.

“I can’t have you following me, Narf.” The Bull said as he readied the rope. “But I can’t have you warning Richard either.”

Before Narf could even think to scurry away, the Bull grabbed him by the arm and flipped him onto his stomach again. Narf’s face scraped against a particularly unforgiving cedar branch as he was bound by the arms and legs and then hogtied.

“I hope I did that right…” The Bull muttered. “Hey Narf, can you move? I’m new to this.”

“W… what?!”

“Are the binds tight enough, you think?”

“They’re plenty tight!” Narf snapped back, scratching his face again on the cedar branch when he tried to face the Bull.

“Good man,” The Bull replied as he looked down at his compass. “I’ll try to remember to untie you once I have Richard. You can freeze to death lying on the ground at night in this climate.”

Tanner peeped in agreement.

Narf said nothing as the Bull turned to walk away. His neck wasn’t broken, his heart and intestines weren’t leaking out of his ears. Who was that man and what did he do with the deadliest killer on this side of Taverly?

It was nearly evening by the time Adam arrived at Richard’s gang’s hideout. Soon, it would be sunset. The hideout was just like Narf said, just a large, old cabin in a clearing by the mountainside. Adam knelt down behind a large pine tree while he surveyed the area. He gently pulled some loose pine needles out of the way so he could get a better view. Some snow from the branch fell onto his chest and cat.

Tanner hissed and wiped the snow off his face with his paws.

“Shhh.” Adam hushed the hellkitten.

The clearing was largely empty save for a few boulders and doused firepits. There was nobody outside, not even a watchman. “They must all be inside.” Adam muttered to Tanner.

Tanner meowed and looked up at his owner.

“Oh, they’re in there alright when you live this close to the mountain if you’re not indoors by nightfall you’re a dead man. There’s no way they’re not home.”

Tanner shivered.

“Don’t worry, this won’t take long. Richard’s tall but he’s a pencil. We can stay the night at the monastery afterward. It’s not that far from here and they’re pretty good about that kind of thing. I used to be a monk. Did I ever tell you that?”

Tanner shook his head and watched the cabin with his cat eyes.

Adam got up from his hiding place and started toward the cottage. He walked on his tiptoes, trying to be as quiet as he could and making sure he wasn’t stepping on any loose sticks or twigs that would cause him to fall and make a scene. Tanner lifted his paws up and down from inside his snuggly to imitate his owner’s strange walk.

The cottage had a wooden door and a large glass window at the front. The window was made up of about a dozen smaller panes. The feint glow of lantern and candlelight was the most Adam could see from where he was.

Not knowing if he was being watched, Adam did his best to avoid the window’s line of site. He crept over to the side of the cabin where all the windows were on the top floor. As he drew nearer and nearer to the cabin, Adam kept himself lower and lower to the ground. He walked with his head low and his knees bent but then broke into a crawl until he was nearly prone. Only his chest was raised from the ground for Tanner.

There was no sign of him being detected, but as he crawled closer to the cottage he started to hear voices coming from inside. It was your usual bandit fanfare and cheer, singing, fighting, laughing, shouting, that sort of thing. Adam smirked. The loud, piggish noise reminded him of the Champions’ guild. Adam wondered how many of Richard’s gang members were registered champions.

Finally, Adam got to the wall of the cabin. It seemed like Richard’s gang was having quite a party. He could feel the vibrations through the wood and stone. Adam shuffled along the entirety of the cabin and around the corner until he passed the front door and was nearly at the main window again. It was a fairly large cottage. It had two floors, with most of the windows on the top floor.

Adam peered into the front window, making sure to avoid being seen by anyone inside. He could barely see anything besides the wall. It was cluttered with garbage and trophies like shields and stolen artwork. Adam knelt down again and shuffled under the window to get another angle while still being out of view to those inside, as best he could anyway. He prayed to Saradomin that nobody would be looking out the window when he stuck his eye over the windowsill.

The ground floor of the cabin was a giant tavern. Adam could see over two dozen burly men and women all over the room. They were drunk as skunks and tripping over themselves as they drank beers from filth-stained tankards. Luckily nobody was looking directly out the window, in fact they all seemed to be looking toward the back of the room. Adam shifted his vision to get a better view. He immediately went red and covered Tanner’s eyes.

A blonde barbarian woman with an eyepatch stumbled into the arms of a tall, skinny man. Her breasts were flopped out of her chest wraps and she pressed herself into the man. The man said something causing the whole tavern to abrupt in laughter. Adam narrowed his eyes from his view at the windowsill. 

The tall, pale man kissed the barbarian woman with one arm around her and a bottle of rum in the other. Every article of clothing the man was wearing was pitch black from his brimmed hat to his leather boots, all except the feather in his hat and a thin white scarf around his neck that stuck out from his black jacket.

“Richard…” Adam muttered. Richard was here, now Adam just had to wait for the right moment to capture him. It was still light out, but it wasn’t going to be for long much longer.

The barbarian woman started messing with Richard's fly and belt in front of everyone, struggling with it in her drunken stupor.

Adam rolled his eyes and kinked his lip.

Richard let the barbarian woman go, pulling away slightly. The woman pouted and stumbled over to the barmaid and started rearranging herself before downing another pint with a cheer. A masked bandit approached the barbarian woman as she drank yet another beer nearly as fast as the first.

“You stay away from her, Cuntinski.” Richard snapped, pointing accusingly at the bandit. “That’s her seventh pint, show a little class why don’t you?” He slurred smugly as he stuck the rum bottle under his arm and did up his belt.

The barbarian woman blew a kiss at him. Richard tipped his hat back at her.

Richard smirked and looked around at his gang. Then he looked up at all the crates of stolen rum stored in shelves along the walls. “That was a whole lotta trouble for nothing, huh?” He muttered in his trademark deep, half-mumbled, slurry way of speaking. “Lost three guys over a month’s worth of rum...”

“But the rum is good!” Cuntinski the masked bandit said in hopes to regain Richard’s approval.

Richard conceded and took a swig from his bottle. “The rum is good, sure.” He said. “But we need something that’s gonna put money in our pockets and meat on the table.”

The masked bandit shrugged. “We could sell the rum, I know guys who would pay over a million for that much rum.”

“But then I can’t _drink_ it!” Richard snapped.

“Then… don’t… drink the rum?”

In the blink of an eye Richard drew his crossbow from the sling on his back and shot the masked bandit in the head. The dead bandit crumpled to the ground and everyone in the room gasped in horror. All except the barbarian woman who applauded and cheered. Adam flinched from behind the window.

“While I still have this thing out, is anyone else fucking retarded?” Richard asked in a disturbingly genuine tone while he loaded another bolt, the bottle of rum tucked under his arm once more. There was silence. He sighed and returned the crossbow to his back. “Can somebody throw him to the wolves before he shits his pants in here?” Richard gestured to the dead bandit.

A pot-bellied barbarian raised a hand and threw the bandit over his shoulder to carry him outside. “Lugthor throw Cuntinski to the wolves.” He grunted.

Richard tipped his hat at the barbarian in approval.

Adam’s heart nearly stopped as the door beside him opened. Luckily Adam was on the side of the door’s hinges, which meant the barbarian didn’t see him pressed against the cabin wall. The door closed and the barbarian carried on in the direction of the clearing’s end. Adam thanked Saradomin and started to crawl around the corner to get out of sight before the barbarian turned around. Tanner started to hiss at the brutish barbarian man, blowing their cover. Adam cursed.

The barbarian dropped the bandit’s body and turned around to find the source of the noise.

“IT’S BU- oof!”

“Did he just shout something out there?” The blonde barbarian woman asked, an eyebrow raised.

“I don’t care about his opinion, Honey. I hired him for his muscle.” Richard shrugged. “Does anyone have any ideas of what we can rob? Who we can kidnap?” He asked, changing the subject back to the matter at hand.

The barmaid spoke up while she poured the barbarian woman another drink. “There’s a gypsy caravan just outside Taverly. They’ll probably be staying there for a few days, no guards, no weapons.”

“What’s there to guard besides a bunch of stolen wallets and watches?” Richard retorted. “Come on I want a real prize!” His voice was picking up.

“Goblins!” Someone called out.

“Druids!” Another person shouted.

“Two druids!”

“Dwarves!”

“The black knights!”

“Falador!”

Richard raised his hands in the air. “There are twenty-six of us…”

“Twenty-five!” The barbarian woman corrected Richard, reminding him of the man he had just shot. She giggled and fell off her stool, spilling her tankard. The barmaid ran over to her and brought her another beer.

“Thanks, Honey.” Richard nodded to the giggling woman on the floor. He glanced to the door of the cabin, Lugthor the barbarian should have been back inside by now. What was taking him so long? Richard shrugged and turned back to his gang. “There are twenty-five of us. Does anyone have an idea of who we can rob that’s somewhere between a bunch of penniless hippies and an entire army that could crush us in one fell swoop. The sweet spot, so to speak.”

“What about Edgeville bank?” A young sounding voice called out from the corner of the room.

Richard turned on his heels to face the unfamiliar voice. He grinned an evil grin before taking another swig of rum, slowly waltzing toward the kid. “I like this guy… What’s your name, son?”

“David.” The young man said, the determined expression on his face was betrayed to Richard by the rookie fear in his eyes. “I’m an adventurer from the Champions’ guild. At your service.”

Richard looked down at the boy’s iron platebody, leather chaps and scruffy hair. “Fresh off tutorial island, eh David?” He muttered.

“That’s right, sir.” David replied.

There was silence in the room. The kid’s fear radiated among the rest of the gang. Richard ate it up. He liked the kid, but he couldn’t let him get too confident. “Happy to have you aboard, David!” Richard said with a smile as he held his rum bottle out for the young man to take a drink.

David took the bottle and reluctantly took a sip of the black spiced rum. The entire gang cheered and Richard grinned at the boy. It was horrible! He wanted to throw up from the taste alone, but the cheers from the rest of the gang pulled him through. David handed the bottle back to Richard.

“Looks like we’re robbing the Edgeville bank!” Richard proclaimed to another round of cheers, this time joined by David. “Hey kid, what time is it?”

David shook his head.

Richard rolled his eyes and turned to the blonde barbarian woman at the bar. “What time is it, Honey?”

The barbarian woman was looking into her empty tankard. “It’s half passed smoke!” She called to Richard before turning back to the barmaid and reaching out with grabby hands for another beer.

“Damn right…” Richard muttered as he took a cigarette from a little box on his coat and popped it in his mouth.

“Outside!” The barbarian woman scolded in an uncharacteristically feral tone. She chugged her beer and fell off her stool again.

Richard waved his arm irritatedly in her direction and headed toward the door.

“Is she okay?” David asked Richard before he stepped outside.

“Who, Honey? Yeah, she’s fine she’s just got no depth perception because of her eyepatch. Don’t be so quick to judge people with disabilities.” Richard slurred with his eyes shut and the unlit cigarette in his mouth. “Be right back.”

Richard stepped outside and shut the door behind him with the cigarette in his mouth and the bottle of rum under his arm. It was when he turned around and opened his eyes that he saw Lugthor, the shirtless, pot-bellied barbarian, hogtied and gagged in the middle of the clearing. “What the fuck…?” Richard muttered, cigarette still in his mouth.

“Need a light?” A familiar voice said as a lit match was held in front of Richard’s face by a green hand.

The cigarette nearly fell from Richard’s mouth. How could this be? He opted to keep his cool and proceeded to light up while his old friend held the match in front of his face. Once the cigarette was lit, Richard turned to face the visitor.

“Bull!” Richard exclaimed. “You’re alive!”

Adam smirked and shrugged before using the match to light up a cigar for himself. The match went out and he tossed it aside.

“I barely recognised you at first with that beard, it’s to hide the scar isn’t it?” Richard asked, pointing to Adam’s beard with his cigarette.

Adam wasn’t sure what to say or do at this point, so he said nothing. He just nodded, a stern look on his face.

Richard put the cigarette back in his mouth and went in to give Adam a hug. Adam didn’t hug back. Tanner squawked when Richard got too close. Richard backed off and looked down at Adam’s chest. “Cute cat.” Richard remarked, somewhat confused. “Where’ve you been all this time, Bull? I heard you died in prison.”

Tanner was getting uncomfortable with all the smoke. Adam put his cigar out and motioned for Richard to do the same with his cigarette.

Richard sighed and puffed the last of his cigarette before throwing it on the grass.

“I was captured by the White Knights, they sent me to prison where I was given the opportunity to become a monk for a little while.” Adam explained. “Then after that, I was pardoned.”

Richard laughed. “ _You_ were a monk?”

Adam nodded. “I’m starting fresh this time. I’m not the Bull anymore.”

“I don’t believe you…” Richard said with a grin. “The guy who used to cover his face in woad and rip men in half is a good guy raising kittens now?”

Adam nodded again, his face more serious.

Richard narrowed his eyes and took a step back. “Then what are you doing here?”

The sun would set any moment, it was now or never. Adam reached into his pocket and pulled out the wanted notice from the Champions’ guild. He handed it to Richard who unfolded it.

The man in black laughed at the paper. “I thought I’d be worth more than that! You can’t be serious.”

“It’s over, Richard.”

Richard’s warm grin turned into a deadly glare. “What’s your plan? Am I just gonna walk with you down to the gallows?”

“That’s what I recommend if you don’t wanna get hurt.”

“What the hell are you gonna do, Bull?” Richard hissed, trying to make himself as tall as possible in front of Adam, arms folded. Richard was about ten years older than Adam and he looked about the same as he did all those years ago. Now that they were enemies, he could be a scary man when he wanted to be. “I’ve got my own gang now, Bull. Roland’s gone. I’m the king of the fucking castle!” He proclaimed as he displayed the large cabin behind them.

“Your fly’s still down Richard…” Adam growled with a straight face.

“Fuck…” Richard cursed as he did up his fly.

“…From that poor girl with more beer in her body than blood!”

“There’s a good reason for that!” Richard shouted defensively.

“I’d love to hear it!”

“Fuck off, Bull!”

“I ain’t fuckin’ off, Richard. I’m gonna bring you in, you drunken philanderin’ sum’bitch!” Adam snapped. Adam and Richard had the same accent and it completely shat the bed when they shouted at each other.

“Oh yeah, now how are you gonna go do a thing like that?”

“Just watch me!” Adam said as he reached for his sword. But before Adam could draw the blade, Richard smashed his rum bottle across Adam’s face. Adam fell to the ground and Richard ran inside the cabin.

Adam jumped back onto his feet and barged through the door after Richard. He was immediately met with over a dozen crossbows pointed at his face and cat. _Idiot…_ He thought to himself. Adam raised his hands away from the hilt of his sword.

“What was that about you bringing me in, Bull?” Richard asked from behind the crowd of crossbows.

Adam looked around him and his gaze stopped at David from the Champions’ guild. The two glared at each other. “You really gotta find better friends.” Adam scolded the teen before turning back to Richard. “Why don’t you fight me like a man instead of hiding behind your boyfriends?”

Richard stomped between two hulking bandits holding crossbows at Adam. “Bull you’ve always been full of shit! I would like nothing more than to personally beat your face into the dirt, but…” He started.

“…But you’re too drunk?” Adam finished Richard’s thought while he plucked shards of glass out of his beard. “You can’t keep this bandit shit up, Richard. You’re almost forty, aren’t you?”

“I shoot better when I’m drunk, Bull.” Richard retorted.

“Can confirm!” The barbarian woman cheered from the bar and made a vulgar gesture with her hand and tongue pressed against her cheek and then waved her fingers like an explosion. The barmaid prepared her another beer.

Adam rolled his eyes. “For the love of Saradomin can you _please_ stop serving that woman?” He barked at the barmaid. “What the hell is the matter with you?!”

Tanner hissed.

Richard stepped forward so he was nose to nose with Adam. “You leave her alone, you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about with her. This is between you and me.”

Adam said nothing and held firm.

Richard continued. “Let’s settle this like the men from the west we are, Bull. Two men, two crossbows, two bolts, one man shoots, the other man dies.”

Adam’s eyes stayed locked on Richard, he refused to back down from the man’s glare. “Just come back with me Richard, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’ll be dead, Bull.” The man in black hissed from under his hat.

 

***

 

The sun was beginning to set in Northern Asgarnia as Adam walked out to the center of the clearing with Richard and the rest of the gang. Nobody said a word. When they got to an open enough space, the gang stood around in a circle, many were still pointing their crossbows at Adam. He felt someone pull his shield off his back. Adam tried to turn around and stop them, but Richard grabbed him by the jaw and turned him back to face him.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do this before, Bull.” Richard said, breaking the silence.

“Once or twice.” Adam replied. “I normally didn’t have the patience to wait around before I killed someone. But it’s safe to say I never lost.” He said in a morbid tone. The whole atmosphere of the evening was disturbingly nostalgic.

“That’s the nature of the game.” Richard smirked. “How do you draw?” He asked.

“The back I guess…” Adam grunted. He felt one of the gang members strap a crossbow sling to his back. Adam adjusted it so it was comfortable for Tanner.

“You might wanna set the cat down…” Richard remarked. “Not that you’ll ever see it again, but I prefer a clean shot.”

Adam shot Richard a nasty sneer and reluctantly pulled Tanner out from the snuggly. Tanner let out a sad meow as Adam motioned to pass him to the barbarian woman. She was the only one who brought her beer outside but was also the only one who didn’t look like she could crush Tanner by blinking.

The woman licked her lips upon seeing the cat. Richard stepped between them. “On second thought, maybe you should hold onto him.” He watched Adam put the cat back into the snuggly. “I’ll just shoot for the head.” Richard snarked. “Then again, it doesn’t really matter where I shoot you.” He patted the bolt quiver at this hip and laughed. The bolt tips were all coated in a foul blue liquid. They were poisoned bolts!

“You ain’t gonna get the chance to shoot me, Richard.” Adam threatened as a burly outlaw handed him his loaded crossbow.

Richard smirked and shook his head. “I guess we’ll see about that.”

Adam was about to put the crossbow into the sling on his back before stopping and looking down the sights instead. “Pass me a bolt, will you Richard.”

Richard narrowed his eyes as he watched Adam fire a shot into the woods. He grinned, it was a test shot to make sure the thing actually fired. “Still don’t trust me Bull?” Richard remarked, grabbing another bolt from his quiver and handing it to Adam.

Adam gave a cynical smirk and took the bolt from Richard, loading it back into his crossbow. Then he put the reloaded crossbow in the sling on his back. It was then that the crowd surrounding them began to spread out.

The two former allies nodded at each other and began stepping backward into position. Neither one would dare take their eyes off the other. Adam’s heart was pulsing like an earthquake in his chest, it took all his strength to keep his legs from turning to jelly and collapsing. This wasn’t what he wanted at all. Adam felt like a criminal stepping in front of the firing squad, either that or he was about to kill his old friend.

When the two finally stopped walking. They both stood perfectly still. The green man and the man in black, legs apart, backs forward, arms at the ready. Adam briefly glanced at the crowd of outlaws who were watching the showdown, mixed expressions of nervousness, confusion and anticipation hung over them. David was beaming, the little shit. The blonde barbarian woman was hopping with excitement, and then distress when she realised that her shaking was causing her to spill beer all over herself.

Adam tried to look as stern as he could, despite how anxious he was. He looked at Richard for comparison, the man in black seemed entirely unphased, like he was in a state of pure readiness and concentration. This was his stupid game after all. It was apparently how outlaws would duel back in the early days of Zeah. Richard was always keen on sharing his heritage with Adam, despite the fact that Adam was from Asgarnia and had never even heard of Zeah until he had met Richard.

The two stared at each other for what seemed like several minutes, though it could have quite possibly only been seconds. The entire clearing was dead silent. All Adam could hear was the beat of his own heart, it felt like the drum before an execution. He was thankful for every breath he took, for after every breath he could only pray that he would live to take another.

Adam saw Richard’s arm begin to move toward his crossbow. In a heartbeat, Adam reached for his own crossbow and drew it before Richard. The crossbow was pointed at Richard’s chest, the thin white scarf around his neck made an excellent bullseye. For a fraction of a second, Adam could see a look of horror on Richard’s face as he began to pinch the trigger…

“…RICHARD! THE BULL IS BACK AND HE’S TRYING TO KILL YOU!” A boobish voice blasted through the clearing.

“Huh?” Adam turned to face the voice and saw Narf running over to Richard with his hands still bound. The rope around his legs had come undone and was trailing behind him. There was a snap from Richard’s crossbow.

Adam felt the shock of impact from the bolt before the pain, before the poison. He immediately fell flat on his face. He broke his fall slightly with one of his elbows to prevent Tanner from being crushed. Adam dragged his knees up and leaned on his face while he felt the damage with his hand. Richard had shot him in the stomach! He could already feel the poison burning inside his gut.

Tanner screamed.

Richard put his crossbow back in the sling and walked over to Adam who was writhing on the ground, trying desperately to sit up. “Rookie mistake, Bull.” Richard snarked. He grabbed Adam by the hair and pulled his head up from the ground.

Adam practically cried out in pain as his wound opened further.

“Didn’t I teach you never to take your eyes off your opponent when there’s weapons involved?” Richard asked rhetorically, flipping Adam onto his back using his boot.

Even in pain, Adam could feel David’s cheeky grin in reaction to Richard’s comment. He said nothing.

Richard pointed to the bolt sticking out of his stomach. “This where Heather stabbed you?” He asked.

Adam flinched in anger, nearly choking on the toxic blood that was bubbling from his mouth.

Richard smirked from seeing that he hit a nerve stronger than any bolt. He knelt down beside Adam, his long, black jeans belled over his leather boots.

“Yeah, I heard what happened. Guess she got the final penetration, huh?” Richard snickered.

Adam said nothing, he wasn’t sure he even could talk. All he knew was that he was furious. Adam gargled in his own blood and spat it out beside him, trying to hit Richard. He glared at the outlaw with murder in his eyes.

Richard leaned to avoid the blood, not that Adam had the strength to spit it very far. “Did Heather take one of your kidneys as well or just break your heart?” He laughed.

Adam turned away, he could still breath somewhat, but didn’t want to risk it by talking. His beard was soaked in his own spit-blood.

Richard grabbed Adam’s face and pulled him his way. “She’s been getting more cock than ever since she ditched you, from what I’ve heard.” He laughed again. “Even I had her a couple times!”

The wounded man said nothing. In the distance, he swore he could hear the barbarian woman shout something like _You told me I was your first!_

Richard looked into Adam’s dilated eyes. “Tell you what, we’ve got antidotes back in Fist Cabin and…” He gestured to the bolt sticking out of Adam’s midriff. “…That doesn’t look a whole lot worse than what Heather did to you. Why don’t you give up this goodie two shoes bullshit and join my gang? I could use a guy like you.” From the way he said that, Richard seemed genuine in his offer, as though he was actually hurt by this whole ordeal.

Adam did his best to gather the strength to speak out of respect for his old friend. “Those days are over, Richard.” He stuttered.

A look of disgust and disappointment came over Richard’s face. “The world doesn’t want people like us around. Once an outlaw, always an outlaw, Bull.”

Adam shook his head. “That ain’t my name…” He whispered. Weaker than ever, but still with conviction.

Richard tipped his hat to Adam. “It’s the only one that matters. That other name of yours wouldn’ta meant nothing to you if you hadn’t met old Richard. You’re a man of the west, just like me.” He turned his ankle and motioned to the Cuban heel on his leather boot.

Adam sneered.

The wanted notice poked out from Adam’s pocket. Richard took it. It was a tiny little thing meant to fit in a guild envelope. “I still can’t believe I’m worth so little…” He slurred with a sense of cheek in his voice. “350K Bull! 350K to drag my sorry ass to Varrock? Come on, we’ve got a heist coming up, Edgeville bank! You’ll make three, four, ten times that much!”

After no response from Adam, Richard shrugged. “My offer still stands, Bull.” He was going to get up and leave but he hesitated, looking at the cat on Adam’s chest. “Leaving this little guy with his dead owner would just be inhumane!” Richard said as he scooped up Tanner from the snuggly. Adam tried to protest but his arms were too weak. Richard grabbed Adam’s still loaded crossbow and stood up, pointing the crossbow at Adam’s head.

Tanner covered his eyes with his paws.

Richard gave a disgusted scowl as he tried to drum up the courage to shoot. He watched Adam stare up at him from the ground. Adam’s fearless gaze was betrayed by the frightened shivering and gurgling of a broken man staring death in the eye. “I’ve got better things to finger than the trigger of a crossbow pointed at a dead man…” Richard muttered as he lowered the crossbow and dropped it. The bolt fell out and the crossbow fired blank. Richard watched Adam flinch from the ordeal. “See you in hell, Bull.” He said as he turned around and started walking back to the cabin with Tanner in hand.

Adam growled and writhed on the ground in pain and frustration. The blood was beginning to build up in his throat again. With all his strength, he lifted himself onto his side to face Richard. He spit the blood out of his mouth. “Richard!” He roared.

Richard smirked under his hat and turned around to hear his friend grovel.

“I’ll join you…” Adam said before passing out on the cold grass.

In a heartbeat, Richard whistled for the barmaid. “Get this man patched up, don’t forget the antidote.”

The barmaid nodded as two outlaws picked Adam up and carried him to the cabin. “Can we trust him?” She asked Richard.

Richard shook his head. “No, throw him in the cell once he’s got his stiches. Also, be sure to give Honey another beer, she spilled most of the last round on her tits and I don’t want her getting too sober.”

The barmaid rolled her eyes and headed back to the cabin with the outlaws carrying Adam.

Richard held the terrified hellkitten in his large hand. He could feel it shivering as the last of the sun dipped under white wolf mountain in the far west. Richard tried to pet the poor thing, but it only hissed and snapped at him, biting him at the palm. It’s fledgling fangs could barely scratch the fabric of his black glove. Richard cursed at the tiny thing clamped down on his hand and tried to shake it off.

“You took the cat?” A young sounding voice asked from behind. It was David the champion.

Tanner hissed when he saw the jerk from the night before, causing him to let go of Richard’s hand. Richard managed to catch the kitten before it fell to the ground.

“Sure, why not?” Richard muttered as he walked with the new recruit.

David gave the hellcat a stern look. “What are you gonna do with it?”

Richard shrugged. “Probably just feed it to Honey.”

“I beg your pardon.” David looked puzzled. “Did you just say _feed_ it to her?”

“Yep, she loves cats!” Richard replied.

“She loves _eating_ cats?” David asked again. He felt like his brain was not parsing this conversation correctly.

Richard gave David a look of both annoyance and confusion. “Yeah, she’s obsessed with them. Some nights she does this whole meowing thing with my…”

“Okay I get it, she likes cats!” David cried, ready to put his hands on his ears. “Hey wait a minute, I’ve got a better idea!”

Richard narrowed his eyes at David. The kid was getting cocky, not a good habit for a subordinate.

“The Bull caved when you took the cat away.” David exclaimed. “As long as we have our hand around that cat’s neck, the Bull will do what we say!”

A wicked grin came over Richard’s face. “Alrighty then, I guess we’ll keep it for now! David, I’m promoting you to cat handler.”

“Uhh…” Before David could object, Richard stuck the hellcat into his hand.

“There you go, don’t squish it too hard.” Richard instructed. “And if I see you neglecting it, I’m giving it to Honey. No point in letting good food go to waste for a girl like that, she’s worth a thousand Bulls!”

David looked down at the disgruntled hellkitten in his hands. He didn’t want to take care of that damn cat, it only reminded him of his embarrassment in the champion’s guild. His frustration was short lived however. At least now that he had the cat, he was the one with control over the Bull. He wasn’t about to screw this up and let some alcoholic savage eat it. David was going to put the Bull through hell for what he did!

It was then that David realised he had stopped walking, he was alone with the hellcat. Richard was over with the other gang members inside the cabin, discussing _his_ plan to rob the Edgeville bank no doubt! David cupped the hellcat in his hands and ran inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Adam came to while he was being dragged down to a barred prison cell in the basement of the outlaws’ cottage. Two barbarians lowered him onto a bench across from the door. They were followed by a handful of other bandit guards and the barmaid from earlier.

“You’re a brave man to play such foolish games.” The barmaid said once the thugs left the cell. Her romantic accent was scolding, yet empathetic and motherly. Adam had never heard a voice so foreign.

Adam said nothing. His whole body burned from the poisonous bolt that was still lodged in his gut, it made him feel dizzy and sick. Adam felt his stomach with his hand. The whole area was painful to touch. His newly stitched jacket was ruined once more, in roughly the same spot no less. Adam tried to take the jacket off but only managed to get about halfway from the top down before the pain of exertion was too great. The caked blood was already starting to stain and dry on his clothes.

The holy symbol he was wearing for good luck, a small silver star of Saradomin, slid off to the side of his chest. Adam held it in his crusty, blood-splattered hand, praying that he would survive this ordeal and get to see Tanner again. He tilted his head to face the barmaid. Her figure was practically a blur to him. A small stream of infected, poisoned blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He was out of breath. It was hard enough to breath without choking on his own toxic fluids but even the action of raising and lowering his chest brought his tolerance for pain to the absolute limit.

The barmaid was wearing a tray that pressed against her waist, held up by a strap that went around the back of her neck. On it were an assortment of tools and potions, a portable medical kit. One of the outlaws had brought it to her while Adam was being lowered onto the bench in the cold basement cell.

Adam watched as the blurry barmaid got on her knees beside him. She was a pretty woman with pale skin and hair as dark a red as the blood that spattered across Adam’s torso. She looked young but not youthful, there was no sign of age in her grey, hawk-like eyes. Adam wondered what a person like that was doing working as a barmaid for Richard Fist.

“I’m not a barmaid, I’m a restauranteur.” The barmaid said out of nowhere while she picked up a thin damp cloth from her medicine tray.

“Huh?” Adam grunted.

The barmaid bit her bottom lip and used the cloth to wipe the trail of blood off of Adam’s face. “Blood poison, what a waste…” She muttered. “Let me see the other side, filthy boy.”

With much struggle, Adam rolled himself to face the woman. As he did so, his holy symbol slid across his chest to the other side.

The barmaid recoiled at the sight of the silver star. She let out what sounded almost like a hiss and nearly tipped over the delicate vials on her medicine tray.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. _What’s the matter with her?_ He thought to himself. _She got some kind of problem with Saradomin?_

“Please, good filthy sir, I’m going to have to ask you to remove that amulet if I am to proceed with the procedure.” The barmaid said, shielding her eyes as though she were looking at the sun.

Since the day he left Entrana until that moment, Adam had not once taken off his holy symbol. It was practically a part of him at this point. It was always there, oftentimes he would forget that he had it on at all. It was a gift from the monks to celebrate his pardon. Adam held the silver star tight in his hand, the sharp edges poked at his palm as though Saradomin himself was telling him not to remove it.

The barmaid grimaced. “Time is a factor here, sir. If you do not take this antidote soon, you’ll be dead in the next minute.”

Adam sighed and strained as he reluctantly removed the holy symbol. He tossed it over to the other bench in the cell.

The barmaid was quick to kneel beside the bench again and readied a vial of milky, green liquid. “Can you sit up?” She asked him.

Adam gritted his teeth as he tried to raise himself. His bleeding stomach resisted the motion like a brick wall of pain. The barmaid put her hand on his back to keep him upright against every urge to fall back.

“Open your mouth and tip your head back. You can lie back down once we get this inside you.” The barmaid instructed.

Adam trembled as he tried to pull his head back and open his mouth. The screaming pain from the bolt fought back hard against him as his stomach tightened. His bubbling blood and bile threatened to drown him as the barmaid slowly poured the antidote down his throat. Adam coughed and gagged while he strained to swallow it all. His blood-soaked tongue tasted only a hint of coconut and flaky wood from the potion. Once it was all gone, the barmaid gently helped him lie back down. Adam could feel the crusty blood caked over his stomach crackle and break as he moved. The burning from the poison was disappearing, leaving only the agonizing pain of his injury.

“Now, let’s see what we can do about that bolt in your tummy.” The barmaid muttered, mostly to herself.

“Are you even a surgeon?” Adam grumbled.

“No, like I said before I’m a restaurateur. But I have gotten quite good at retrieving swallowed hooks out of fish.”  

“…What?!” Adam spat. He was nearly ready to jump off the bench and make a run for it.

The barmaid set down her medicine tray and picked up a curved needle. “I have also stitched up my fair share of turkeys at Christmastime. It’s so hard to transport them where I’m from they often get damaged and torn.” She said while she carefully threaded the needle. “Now you be a good, filthy boy and stay still.” The barmaid gently held the bolt in her hand as she tried to dislodge it from Adam’s stomach.

Adam roared with pain, stopping himself short of grabbing the woman and pulling her hands away. He instead held his hands together tight and bit down on his forearm. Relentless spasms overtook him. Adam couldn’t control his body, it shook to pull itself away from the woman as she tried to work.

“You’re going to make it worse!” The barmaid sighed and got the rope that had been taken off Adam’s person by the bandits. She tied his legs and chest to the bench. Adam didn’t fight it. “I’ll trust you to keep your arms free, I may need you to hold things for me.” The barmaid said.

Adam nodded begrudgingly.

“Good.” The barmaid instructed. “You can scream all you want, I’m quite used to it, but please do not bite yourself! I don’t have much thread and I don’t want you to risk another injury while I fix this one.” She picked up a lemon from the medicine tray and shoved it into Adam’s mouth.

“Whbt tbeh thubk??” Adam mumbled as blood spattered from the sides of the lemon lodged in his face hole.

For both parties, the following ordeal felt as though it lasted several hours. Getting the bolt out was only the start of the agonising procedure. Adam cursed and choked on his own blood between his animalistic screams as the barmaid poked and prodded around his innards to make a large enough exit point for the bolt. He had expected to feel relief when the thing was removed but he had no such luck. The removed bolt revealed even more lacerations and scrambled innards.

Adam noticed the barmaid sweating heavily as she licked her lips at all the blood that was pouring out of him. He was beginning to feel lightheaded himself.

“You’re lucky this blood is still toxic.” The barmaid said as she took a sponge Adam was holding and tried to soak some of it up. She smelled the dripping sponge and shuddered with a disturbing ecstasy.

Adam narrowed his eyes. There was something off about this bandit restauranteur, though he could barely get his thoughts straight enough to think about it. The woman’s confidence displayed a genius understanding of the human anatomy, even if it seemed to culminate in an almost fetishistic obsession with blood. _Is my surgeon a fucking cannibal?_ Was about the extent to which his brain allowed him to process anything other than his gut-wrenching pain.

The barmaid shook her head and got back to work. Painfully stitching every laceration shut. Every cut, every entry point of the needle felt like a never-ending serrated dagger sawing though his skin and intestines. Adam had been tortured before, but he had never been through anything as relentlessly agonising as this. He screamed until his voice was horse. Blood, lemon juice and bile seeped into his nose and lungs making him cough and gag. He was going to suffocate if this went on any longer.

Adam pulsed on the bench like a dying fish on the floor of a boat before he finally felt the barmaid’s ice-cold hand on his bloody stomach. The pain from the repeated insertions of the needle into his stomach to close his wound once and for all was the closest thing he felt to relief.

The barmaid pulled the lemon out from Adam’s mouth and allowed him to spit into a cup from the medicine tray. “Well.” The barmaid said. “You’re all good now. I wouldn’t order you in a restaurant, but you should be good as new in a few days.” She grinned as she started to untie Adam.

“T-thank you…” Adam panted. He tried to sit up, but the barmaid lowered him back down.

“Rest for now, you don’t want your wounds to open up again.”

Adam nodded, he was completely exhausted. “What’s your name?” He coughed.

The barmaid was cleaning up her tools and putting them back onto the medicine tray when he asked her that. She stopped what she was doing and stood up to take a bow. “My name is Elvira Grimro. At your service.” Her red curtains and ponytail hung in front of her as she bowed.

Adam scrounged up a smile. “Thank you for saving my life Miss Grimro. My name’s Adam.”

The barmaid chuckled. “You can call me just Grimro. I look forward to serving you again soon.” And with that, she picked up the medicine tray and headed out the cell and down the hall. The cell door locked behind her.

Adam looked up at the ceiling and grinned. He was still week and his stomach still roared with pain, but he was still alive. He blushed behind his blood-stained beard and cheeks. _I look forward to being served by you too, Grimro._

“NOT LIKE THAT!” An out of view Grimro shouted scoldingly from down the hall.


End file.
